NOTE: Our Dharma Talk this time will dive into the opening passages of the Genjo Koan (text below in this thread) ...

Please 'sit-a-long' with our MONTHLY4-hourZAZENKAI, netcast LIVE8am to noon Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 7pm to 11pm, Los Angeles 4pm to 8pm (Friday night), London midnight to 4am and Paris 1am to 5am (early Saturday morning)) ... and visible at the following link during those times ...

... to be visible at the following link during those times and any time thereafter ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at GOOGLE+ IS HERE:CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS are posted AT THIS LINK. WE ARE NOW LIMITED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANY NUMBER CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED:

Our Zazenkai consists of our chanting the 'Heart Sutra' and the 'Identity of Relative and Absolute (Sandokai)' in English (please download our Chant Book at the link below), some full floor prostrations (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), a little talk by me ... and we close with the 'Metta Chant', followed at the end with the 'Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'. Oh, and lots and lots of Zazen and walkin' Kinhin in between!

Please download and print out the Chants we will recite at the following link (PDF):

I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU POSITION YOUR ZAFU ON THE FLOOR IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT STARING DIRECTLY AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN, BUT CAN GLANCE OVER AND SEE THE SCREEN WHEN NECESSARY. YOUR ZAFU SHOULD ALSO BE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPUTER SCREEN WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE ZAFU FOR THE CEREMONIES, AND HAVE ROOM FOR BOWING AND KINHIN.

ALSO, REMEMBER TO SET YOUR COMPUTER (& SCREEN SAVER) SO THAT IT DOES NOT SHUT OFF DURING THE 4 HOURS.

I hope you will join us ... an open Zafu is waiting. When we drop all thought of 'here' 'there' 'now' 'then' ... we are sitting all together!

05-03-2013, 02:16 AM

Shingen

I will be there live. :)

Gassho
Shingen

05-03-2013, 04:02 AM

Dosho

I'll be there.

Gassho,
Dosho

05-03-2013, 10:38 AM

Kyonin

I'll be there live!

Gassho,

Kyonin

05-03-2013, 12:23 PM

Juki

I will be there as well.

Gassho,
William

05-03-2013, 01:53 PM

Daijo

We will be sitting on Sunday morning 8:30 to 12:30 EST (US and Canada) if anyone would care to join us for the resit.

05-03-2013, 02:02 PM

Hans

hello guys,

I'll be sitting the Zazenkai in Sunday. Thank you all for your practise! Keep up the great work.

Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

05-03-2013, 02:50 PM

Daitetsu

As with the last monthly Zazenkai, I won't be able to attend live, but will surely find a day to sit with the recording.

Gassho,

Timo

05-03-2013, 03:02 PM

Koshin

I will try to join you in the Dharma Talk, finish with you and then sit the first two hours rigth after that, kind of a backwards Zazenkai :)

Gassho

05-03-2013, 03:26 PM

McGettigan

I know there's mention of watching/participating without being on the main screen during the event. But I haven't used google+ before for a hangout. Is that an option when I click the link? Or can I only watch the video after the fact? I want to participate live, but as this is my first, I honestly admit I would prefer to not be live on the screen. Sorry if this was covered elsewhere.

Gassho,
Mc.

05-03-2013, 04:02 PM

Juki

Hi, Mc: my understanding is that only the first ten people to join the hangout can be seen live on screen. One of those ten is obviously, Jundo. So, if you join in after nine others, you will see/hear the Zazenkai but not be seen. Some weeks, there are less than ten of us, however, so you would probably be seen in that event. I may be wrong, and Kyonin is one of our Engineers, so he can probably advise you better than I can.

However, joining "one way" by simply clicking on the screen (which will appear in the top post a few minutes before the Zazenkai starts) is fine, and we can still sit together and "see each other" in our hearts.

Gassho, J

05-03-2013, 04:18 PM

Jundo

For our talk today, let's dive into the opening passages of the Genjo Koan ...

-----------------------

As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion and realization, practice, and birth and death, and there are buddhas and sentient beings.

As the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death.

The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one; thus there are birth and death, delusion and realization, sentient beings and buddhas.

Yet in attachment blossoms fall, and in aversion weeds spread.

To carry yourself forward and experience myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and experience themselves is awakening.

Those who have great realization of delusion are buddhas; those who are greatly deluded about realization are sentient beings. Further, there are those who continue realizing beyond realization, who are in delusion throughout delusion.

When buddhas are truly buddhas they do not necessarily notice that they are buddhas. However, they are actualized buddhas, who go on actualizing buddhas.

05-03-2013, 04:29 PM

McGettigan

Thank you Jundo and William. This is my first longer zazenkai. I've also never sat with others live, so I'm more than a little insecure, ha. But I will engage with my sincerest effort. I very much appreciate the responses. And I look forward to sitting with you.

Gassho,
Mc.

05-03-2013, 05:17 PM

Genshin

I'll sit over the bank holiday weekend. I would love to sit live but it's just to early in the morning for me.

Thanks & Gassho,
Matt

05-03-2013, 06:46 PM

Kokuu

Have a good sit tonight/tomorrow. Like Hans, I will be joining in on Sunday.

05-04-2013, 01:49 AM

Geika

I joined in late, and then had many technical difficulties trying to get my camera to work. Still sitting with you guys now, may have to leave early. I enjoyed the question and answer portion. Excellent idea.

gassho1 Now returning to sitting.

05-04-2013, 02:03 AM

Yugen

Dear all,
I apologize to all of you for missing the start of the Zazenkai. I am really embarrassed to miss my Doan commitment. I showed up an hour late, neglecting to note that the four hour Zazenkai starts an hour earlier. I'm really sorry - I failed to support you in your practice tonight. And being Doan is just plain fun - I enjoy it.

I also apologize to you Jundo, I told you I'd be there.

Deep bows
Yugen

05-04-2013, 03:01 AM

Geika

All sitters: gassho1

05-04-2013, 03:02 AM

Shingen

Thank you Jundo and everyone who sat ... have a great weekend. :)

No worries Yugen and Amelia ... you were are always there with us. :)

Gassho
Shingen

05-04-2013, 03:03 AM

Juki

Thank you, Jundo for the wonderful talk on the Genjo Koan. Thanks to all who sat and who will sit later. And, Yugen, don't beat yourself up. Gassho, William

05-04-2013, 03:06 AM

arnold

Yugen, the same thing happened to me, and then I had computer problems as well and didn't realize I was 1 hour and 15 minutes late by the time I joined. Of course I am not so visible as you are as you are serving as Doan but such things are human and no need for embarrassment. Thank you for your commitment.

Gassho,
Arnold

05-04-2013, 03:25 AM

xicaravazia

Hi,

I could not be online but it is very nice to know that it is possible to follow the Zazenkai recorded, I hope to do it tomorrow morning.

Gassho,

Mauricio

05-04-2013, 03:35 AM

Dosho

Thanks everyone.

Gassho,
Dosho

05-04-2013, 10:09 AM

Kyonin

Thank you all who sat/will sit.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gassho,

Kyonin

05-04-2013, 10:10 AM

Kyonin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yugen

I apologize to all of you for missing the start of the Zazenkai. I am really embarrassed to miss my Doan commitment. I showed up an hour late, neglecting to note that the four hour Zazenkai starts an hour earlier. I'm really sorry - I failed to support you in your practice tonight. And being Doan is just plain fun - I enjoy it.

I also apologize to you Jundo, I told you I'd be there.

What are you talking about, brother? Your are always here!

Gassho,

Kyonin

05-04-2013, 12:01 PM

Juki

And thanks to Dosho for stepping in and reciting the Heart Sutra for us.

Gassho,
William

05-04-2013, 04:35 PM

Myozan Kodo

Gassho all. Will be sitting tomorrow.
Myozan

05-04-2013, 05:01 PM

Myoku

Thank you Jundo, wonderful talk,
thank you everyone, Gassho
Myoku

05-05-2013, 11:15 AM

Genshin

Thank you everyone that sat and will sit.
Enjoyed listening to the talk and Q&A session.

Gassho,
Matt

05-05-2013, 02:30 PM

Kokuu

Beautiful! I had lot of pain sitting today but Jundo's words on the Genjokoan really helped with that (I love Genjokoan anyway). It felt like if I pushed the pain away I was pushing away Buddha so Buddha and I sat with the pain. Would it be too much to ask for a (short) talk every week, or maybe alternate weeks? Would be lovely to have one of the Genjokoan commentaries as the book club book too.

Thank you for the recitations, Dosho, and for everyone for sitting.

Gassho
Andy

05-05-2013, 03:55 PM

Jundo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karasu

Would it be too much to ask for a (short) talk every week, or maybe alternate weeks?

Oh, well, like people don't hear enough from me around here already! ;)

Well, I suppose we will have some more of the Genjo Koan next monthly Zazenkai, plus some talks by Taigu and me now and then on other subjects, as always.

Here is Taigu's great series on the Genjo ... that should keep you busy! :)